Bhubaneswar: The additional district judge Monday acquitted two persons including the alleged prime accused of 2011 Pipli gangrape and murder case for lack of evidence.
The accused siblings, Prashant Pradhan and Sukant Pradhan, along with six others were charged with various Sections of the IPC including Sections 302 and 376, and Section 3 of the SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocity) Act. While Sukant was on bail, Prashan was lodged in Jharpada jail.
According to sources, the state Crime Branch probing the case had filed four chargesheets against eight people that included the former inspector in-charge of Pipli police station, Amulya Champatiray, and three doctors.
The victim was a resident of Arjungoda village of Pipli in Puri district. She was 19-year-old when she was gangraped and left semi-naked in a paddy field November 28, 2011.
During her treatment, the victim slept into coma. There were media reports that the law enforcement authorities were trying to sweep it (the case) under the rug. All the accused were arrested January 2012 following widespread hue and cry over the issue across the state.
However, the victim breathed her last June 2012 after remaining in coma for more than six months at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
Meanwhile, rights activists questioned the way the CB investigated the case and the role of the prosecution at the court.
It was believed that the girl became the target of the miscreants as she turned a court witness in a molestation case.
Pipli MLA and then Agriculture Minister Pradeep Maharathy came under severe criticism for his alleged links with the accused. He had to resign from his post under huge pressure of the Opposition.